Tractors and other vehicles must occasionally operate over inclined surfaces, such as a highway right of way, golf course fairways, and the like. When a tractor operates or moves along an inclined slope, the tractor seat will be at an angle to the horizontal, while the operator attempts to maintain his body in an upright position. This results in the operator being in an awkward position which can cause physical discomfort and can cause an inherent safety hazard due to the imbalance of the operator with relation to the tractor.
Various devices have been proposed in the past to provide self-leveling characteristics for a tractor seat. Many of these devices have been rather complex, requiring a hydraulic or electrical power source or requiring a complicated guide mechanism for guiding the seat in tilting movement. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,076 discloses a self-leveling tractor seat in which the seat carries a plurality of rollers which move in a curved guide track on the vehicle frame. A fluid cylinder connects the seats and the support and acts to dampen the tilting movement of the seat.